The day’s first session, Cause/Belief, asked participants to explore belief in our communities, our shared humanity, and ourselves. It opened with Every Monday Matters author Matt Emerzian reminding everyone “You Matter”, as he brought participants onstage and asked them to tell the crowd why they matter. Other talks included an inspirational story from the first man with cerebral palsy to climb El Capitan, the personal story of a former war correspondent who found the power of mantra to overcome physical pain, mental anguish, and addictions, and encouragement from an Auschwitz survivor that the spirit never dies and that hope is very much alive. Attendees were inspired and challenged to believe in themselves and what they can accomplish.

Session two, Cause/Action, included talks about impacting the world in new ways, the philanthropic notion of “cause,” and heroic individual acts.  Participants were provoked by a scientist demonstrating thought-controlled computing, a social entrepreneur who argued that the reasons for apathy no longer exist, TEDxSanDiego Local Speaker Search Winners speaking about making a lasting impact by raising “a few good men” and the pervasiveness of undiagnosed adult ADD, a talk and performance by a formerly homeless teen who is now in college, and a doctor painting a future in which cancer is diagnosed in 15 minutes.

In session three, Affect/Awareness, participants were challenged to see themselves, others, movements, and the world in new ways, with awareness that is empowering and that engenders change. Talks in this session dared people to explore our “blue mind”, to acknowledge the distinct pasts and common future we share with Kalahari Bushmen, to look anew at teaching business and tech skills to inmates, and to remember the importance of “old” tech like the post office in today’s society. The crowd was also exhorted by Thupten Jinpa, the principal English translator for H.H. the Dalai Lama, to cultivate compassion in a time when so much turmoil is in the world.

The final session, Affect/Possibility, introduced participants to jaw-dropping discoveries and new possibilities. They heard from doctors and researchers who are monitoring health with smart contact lenses and tattoo electronics and reknown business book author Ken Blanchard, who shared never-before-told personal lessons he’s learned about collaborating with others.

Interspersed throughout the sessions were performances by a variety of musicians, including Beethoven-meets-Jimi Hendrix artists Unknown Lyric who shared funky, yet lyrical pieces, cellist Ben Sollee who introduced an inspired, new musical style, and hip hop duo Parker & The Numberman who performed with a live DJ a piece created especially for the day.  The performers showcased innovative individual works and broke new ground with their unexpected collaboration.

The day closed with TEDxSanDiego founder and executive producer Jack Abbott issuing the ultimate challenge to participants:   you are the cause that affects the world, so go be the change you want to see.

The post TEDxSanDiego 2012 Cause & Affect Summary appeared first on TEDxSanDiego.

On more than one occasion this week I heard participants question their own accomplishments following our amazing day together at TEDxSanDiego. This sentiment is understandable after watching 33 speakers and performers, of all ages, each with an idea worthy of the TED stage.

• That guy developed a contact lens with wi-fi…what have I done?
• They help prisoners be more than they ever imagined…who have I helped like that?
• This man has cerebral palsy and climbed El Cap by doing 20,000 pull-ups…what’s my excuse?

First, any objective observer would say that the participants at TEDxSanDiego are an accomplished bunch. More importantly, the theme of TEDxSanDiego 2012 was Cause & Affect; it wasn’t Cause & Finish. Affect implies impact and I believe there is a subtle but significant difference between impact and accomplishment.

Don’t get me wrong, accomplishments are important and worthy of celebration. They are the result of imagination, effort and perseverance and drive our world forward.

Each day however, you have a chance to make an impact. A chance to use your talent, knowledge and time to further a cause, a goal or just to make someone’s day a little better. This is the message we hope was conveyed over the course of your TEDxSanDiego experience with each speaker reflecting the possibility of what happens if you do this over, and over again with an end in mind.

I spoke with Jeremiah Turner, the guitar player from Unknown Lyric after the event. I learned he is 26 and an accomplished artist and choreographer. I also learned he has been playing guitar for just four years. As you can imagine, this last reveal left me dumbfounded and a little deflated – four years!?

Sensing my reaction, Jeremiah didn’t say, “I guess that’s my gift.” Rather, he said – paraphrasing here – “If I could do this in four years just imagine what you could do or what anybody can do. That’s the message I want my music to send.”

That’s possibility. That’s impact. Both of which are within each of us.

Thank you for being a part of TEDxSanDiego.

Best,
Mark Tomaszewicz

The post What Have I Done? appeared first on TEDxSanDiego.

It is hard to know the impact we have — particularly at the moment it takes place — so may I share my observation of such a moment that Matt Emerzian was at the epicenter of…

Matt, kicked off the talks at TEDxSanDiego, and opened the hearts and minds of many influencers who will carry forward and activate his mission with unimaginable beauty.

It was a giddy audience who entered the Qualcomm auditorium with high expectations and were delighted by the unexpected musical collaboration — they cheered for the beauty, emotional richness, and clever presentation. They were primed for a great experience; already their expectations exceeded.

And then — with disarming authenticity — he masterfully touched the place of our greatest point of vulnerability and held it. Tenderly. Safely.
Using your size and larger-than-life personality to it’s highest and best use.
To help each of us know that we matter and can help others know and feel the same.
With a simple gesture and 2 words.

It was at that moment the TED *magic* happened.

People left the world outside behind.
They were transported.
The ground shifted a bit — and it wasn’t an earthquake — it was a soul quiver in which their lower lip trembled and they questioned their worth.
And Matt answered. “YOU matter”.

Following that, the sense of wonder and possibility that TED is best known for was made possible. A speaker, their idea, and their vulnerability allowed each one of us to plug into the best of humanity and become receptive vessels to the stories and ideas they were about to hear. Matt Emerzian prepared every Speaker. Producer. Audience Member. To engage fully. At their highest level.

He was brilliant in his insight, compassion, and infectious joy.

He caused the world to shift.

The post Reflection on a Talk appeared first on TEDxSanDiego.

When a hand-picked group of speakers takes the stage at Irwin Jacobs Qualcomm Hall on December 1 at this year’s TEDxSanDiego, they will be part of a growing, worldwide phenomenon intent on sharing ideas and making an impact. Since 2010, the locally organized, not-for-profit event has assembled an array of speakers and performers. Each speaker explores a theme – this year it’s “Cause & Affect” – from the perspective of his or her experience or area of expertise in technology, education, the arts, and beyond. Their goal is to cause participants to affect their world in some positive, meaningful way. Adding to the challenge: no talk can exceed 20 minutes.

So how does a speaker know if he or she has connected with the audience? It goes far beyond the applause. Presenters from TEDxSanDiego 2010 and 2011 weighed in with their unique perspectives on the anatomy of a great TEDxTalk.

ECOLIFE Foundation Executive Direction William Toone says the audience needs to see themselves in the topic. “It has to resonate with something they know, something they wondered about, something they love or hate or fear, but is about them. The real indication is when they have no desire to leave the room when you are done.”

Holding an audience’s attention for anything longer than five minutes in today’s short-attention-span world can be difficult, especially when your audience is accomplished in their own right, as are TEDxSanDiego participants. Jake Wood uses that to assess the quality of his connection with the audience. Wood, a combat veteran and co-founder of Team Rubicon, says “There’s a way to sense everyone’s eyeballs are focused on you – not looking down at their iPhone. When you have that kind of rapt attention, even in a dark auditorium, it’s palpable.”

For Sekou Andrews, the transformation he can affect is the true measure of a great talk. Andrews is an award-winning Poetic Voice whose work has been featured on such national media outlets as Good Morning America, MTV and BET. “A presentation should be a journey that leaves you somewhere different, more lifted, more hopeful, more informed, engaged and ignited than you were when it began. My goal is to transform audiences from interested attendees to delighted participants… from informed receivers to enrolled responders… from smartphone skeptics slouched in their seats texting or checking emails, to wide-eyed converts, leaned forward in their seats engaged.”

The electricity in the room is what tells Dr. Martha Beck that she’s connecting. “When I accidentally say something that resonates with a fair number of audience members, I can feel a sort of subtle electrical tide rising through the room.  If I try to chase that sensation, it disappears.  If I relax, it feels as if I’m actually riding it, like a surfer on a wave. “

Hargo Khalso, who with partner Sanjay Parekh, is the acoustic band Hargo, says applause is kind of an afterthought. It’s the personal connection that really matters. “As any performer can tell you, there is a moment when you realize you’ve established the connection with the crowd. You feel the barrier between you and them disappear and it’s just casual. For us, a great performance is one where we feel uplifted and can sense that the audience is feeling the same thing.”

Personal interaction can be immediate, as it is for Viet Nguyen, principal architect and lead programmer for NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System.  “It’s definitely the personal feedback after the talk. When people come up to me and tell me they didn’t know about something until I showed them, then I’ve done my job.”

For some TEDxSanDiego speakers, the affirmation of an impactful talk comes in the days and months following the event.  Industrial designer Gad Shaanan puts it best, “When people listen intently to what you have to say and connect with your philosophy and then come over to you years later and talk about ‘that talk you gave’ and tell you how much they use it in business and life… that is when you know you made a difference.”

Attendees at this year’s TEDxSanDiego will have the opportunity to engage with 25 dynamic speakers and performers. If past talks are any indication, they are in for a day of jaw-dropping ideas, entertainment and inspiration that will motivate them to “cause and affect” their world.

The post The Anatomy of a Memorable Talk appeared first on TEDxSanDiego.

Houghtailing, a single mother of two sons, takes an entertaining, enlightening look at the immense responsibility a woman takes on in raising boys to be good men. Her high-energy exploration of the relationship between a mother and her sons, Houghtailing uses humor to deliver often-surprising perceptions. An innovative international trainer, Houghtailing is the founder of The Millionaire Girls’ Movement and tours with her one-woman show, Renegade Princess.

Brown draws from personal experience to shed light on the plight of the millions of undiagnosed ADHD adults around the world. Using compelling personal insight, he looks into the dark struggles of ADHD adults, the disorder’s destructive impact on their lives and relationships, and the strategies that can help them live to their fullest potential.

The post 2012 Speaker Search Winners Take the Stage appeared first on TEDxSanDiego.

Learn more about our TEDxChange 2012 Live Simulcast and register to attend.

The post TEDxChange 2012 Live Simulcast Meetup appeared first on TEDxSanDiego.

TEDxChange is designed to act as a catalyst for global conversations on ideas worth spreading on health, development, and education issues. In addition to the simulcast, TEDxSanDiego will feature a panel of live speakers who will comment and expand on presentations by 2012 TEDxChange speakers.

“Our San Diego event is one of many that will be held that day by TEDx chapters around the world to expand on the “big picture” theme. The aim is to get people to come together as a global community to focus on new ways to bring about positive change and overcome common challenges.” said Jack Abbott, co-founder of TEDxSanDiego and sponsor of the local event.

TEDxChange will include talks by Melinda Gates, TED’s Chris Anderson, Jeff Chapin, and Sven Giegold (speaker bios). We’ll also feature a strong slate of local San Diego speakers:

• David A. Shirk, PhD, a USD professor with expertise is U.S.-Mexican relations
• Raj Krishnan, CEO at San Diego-based Biological Dynamics, Inc.
• Jeff Chapin, a mechanical engineer and product designer for IDEO
• Sven Geigold, who is involved in green industry issues
• Alias, a internationally known graffiti artist

Date: Thursday, April 5, 2012
Time: 8 am – 11 am
Location:
University of San Diego
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice Theatre
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110

Seating at the event is limited so advance online registration is required. Registrants for the event will receive a confirmation email with directions and parking information. Admission is free, however tax deductible contributions of $5 to $50 are welcome to help with event production expenses. Contributions will be collected at the door the day of the event.

Register and get your tickets now!

The post TEDxSanDiego Hosting TEDxChange Simulcast, co-organized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and TED appeared first on TEDxSanDiego.

Sekou Andrews opens TEDxSanDiego at Irwin Jacobs Hall on the Qualcomm campus. Photo credit: TEDxSanDiego/Fred Rodolfo.

On Saturday, December 3, 2011, almost 500 minds gathered to be inspired at TEDxSanDiego, held at Irwin M. Jacobs Hall at Qualcomm in San Diego, California.

A day that took the minds and emotions of a sold-out crowd on a roller coaster thrill ride began, literally, with a bang. San Diego Taiko’s energized and energizing performance set the tone for a line-up of 28 speakers and performers to present interpretations of this year’s theme, The World in Our Grasp.

For nearly 8 hours, they demonstrated with personal experiences how anyone who sufficiently inspired can make a difference locally, nationally or even globally. Throughout the day, break sessions provided opportunities to explore various interactive experiences including a photographic installation showing the many faces of America’s homeless, street artist Tracy Lee Strum’s 3D chalk art interpretation of the event logo and graphic recorder Jeannel King’s delightful notes from each presentation.

The event was divided into four sessions and co-emceed by Emmy-award winning news anchor Susan Taylor (who signed off on her final broadcast mere hours before our show began!) and award-winning food writer Troy Johnson.

Charlie Morley, lucid dream practitioner. Photo credit: TEDxSanDiego/Fred Rodolfo.

Session 1: Self

The first session, Self, challenged the audience to explore the expansive power we have as individuals to create the internal transformations that trigger innovation, creativity and action. It began with spoken word artist Sekou Andrews urging us to sprout our stunted wings and fearlessly realize our potential. Other self-challenging presentations ranged from conquering inner demons with lucid dreams, altering our perceptions and reactions, keeping family histories vibrantly alive and dissolving the iron cage of rationalism to free our minds.

Session 2: Community

During Session 2, Community, presenters looked at the meaning of local in a globally connected world and explored ways to bring about lasting, positive change. Topics ranged from rethinking accepted wisdom to find innovative solutions, tapping new sources of community activism and reaching out to new, often neglected segments of our communities including the homeless and under-privileged girls.

The audience, listening in rapt attention. Photo credit: TEDxSanDiego/Fred Rodolfo.

Session 3: Global

Session 3 dealt with finding solutions to global problems. Speakers from such diverse disciplines as oceanography, climatology, genomics, bio-mimicry, music and software development demonstrated practical and visionary innovations. Along the way, we journeyed beyond our solar system and through explored coral reefs that hold the promise of cancer cures.

Session 4: Seeds of Change

The final session, Seeds of Change, provided the ideas and inspirations each of us could employ to be active, motivated agents of meaningful change. We heard an impassioned case for teaching civics to our children, learned how simple changes at our family dinner table could help alleviate world hunger and found ways to make creative use of the many crevices in our busy lives. We also got progress reports from five of last year’s presenters on their global projects.

A globe by 3D chalk artist Tracy Lee Stum. Photo credit: TEDxSanDiego/Fred Rodolfo.

Conclusion

TEDxSanDiego 2011 concluded as it had begun, with Sekou Andrews delivering an rhythmic , upbeat recap of the day’s presentations and all we had experienced in our quest to take the world in our grasp.

Words of Wisdom From Our Attendees

While we asked everyone to go on social silence during the TEDx talks, many of them wrote beautiful reflections about the day after the show. Here’s a sampling of them:

• Neville at Soul Food Friday writes: “Some speakers bent our minds with intellect, others touched our hearts with their kindness and wisdom, some enflamed our courage with their conviction and bravery, while others reached our soul with music, poetry and metaphor.”
• Mark Lovett at Global Patriot says: “I was captivated by Martha Beck’s insights on ancient wisdom while she confronted an African rhinoceros, and offered up the notion that what we often think of as magic, is simply a matter of tuning into nature…”
• Anne McColl created a wonderful Storify: ”I was thrilled to attend the first TEDx San Diego last year so naturally, my expectations for this (year’s show) were very high. I wasn’t disappointed in the least.”

A screen capture from Anne McColl's Storify of TEDxSanDiego.

• Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts writes: “Very inspiring day of TED talks.”
• Denise Lee Young (who also served on the TEDx team), put together a slideshow of the day and says: “It was an energizing, inspiring, and challenging day as we discovered ideas worth spreading.”
• Tiffany Fox from ThisWeek@UCSanDiego notes: “The young, wired and inspired turned out in full force for the event, filling the 543-seat Qualcomm auditorium in Sorrento Valley to maximum capacity and, at one point, bringing down the wireless giant’s in-house Wi-Fi service with their laptops and smartphones.”
• Monika blogs: “At some point during her talk (Ellen Gustafson) mentioned her age and I marveled that someone only a couple of years younger than me had done something so amazing. This was actually a common theme through out the day. Older or younger, all of these people had done amazing things.”
• Etienne de Bruin tweets: “Everything about @TEDxSanDiego was a rush. But this moment was epic…“

Tweet

The post TEDxSanDiego 2011 Highlights and Wrap Up appeared first on TEDxSanDiego.

Photo: TEDxSanDiego/Kara DeFrias.

There are a number of ways to tune in to TEDxSanDiego tomorrow if you’re not able to attend live!

Our social media team will be working hard to bring you all the goings on live from Qualcomm Irwin Jacobs Theatre in San Diego, Calif. Among the ways to follow along are the live stream, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and meetups.

Live Stream

Last year over 27,000 people tuned in via their computers and smart phones to watch the live stream of TEDxSan Diego.

You can watch TEDxSanDiego in real time via the live stream, beginning at 8:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, December 2.

Facebook

Join us on our Facebook page throughout the day for live updates and key nuggets from the speakers and attendees. Stick around for lively discussions, and see what others have to say about the photos we post.

Twitter

If Facebook is the color commentary of our live coverage, then Twitter is the play by play action. We’ll be live tweeting the day over at @TEDxSanDiego, or follow the event hashtag #TEDxSD11.

Flickr

Are you a visual person? Well we’ve got you covered, too! Head on over to our Flickr page and take a gander at all the pretty pics of our amazing, intelligent, fun and funny speakers and attendees.

Meetups

There are over a dozen organized viewing parties, called meetups, here in San Diego and all around the world, including Europe, Mexico, and Ecuador.

If you’re interested in attending a meetup to watch TEDxSanDiego, visit our page on the Meetup site.

Anything else?

Yep, we’ve got all our bases covered. As always, you can get all your updates on our main website. We look forward to talking to you tomorrow!

Tweet

The post How to Watch and Follow TEDxSanDiego 2011 Live appeared first on TEDxSanDiego.

Balboa Park's California Tower. Photo: Kara DeFrias.

There’s a certain energy you can feel around town whenever the topic of TED or TEDx comes up. Eyes light up, talk becomes faster and there’s a general overarching, “OhmygoshdidyouseethatTEDtalk?” followed by, “There’s a TEDx here in San Diego?”

There’s a number of them, actually. San Diego is very TED-friendly, which explains why the TEDx concept has taken off: seven TEDx events total in San Diego! In addition to TEDxSanDiego, we have our sister shows here in town: TEDxAmerica’s Finest City, TEDxDel Mar, and many more TEDx events around San Diego.

Created in the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,”  the first TEDx event was held on March 23, 2009, at the University of Southern California. TED designed TEDx to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level.

At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.

Learn more about TEDx events at TED.com.

Since its inception in 2009, TEDx has taken off like wildfire and posted some impressive numbers (as of Nov. 29, 2011):

• Number of TEDx events 2009: 279
• TEDx events 2010: 952
• TEDx events 2011 so far (11/29/11): 1645
• Total TEDx events since : 2876 
• Number of countries who have held TEDx events: 118
• Languages: 40+
• Licensees: 3,450+
• Videos (TEDxTalks): 10,500+

Across various platforms, TEDxTalks have been viewed over 50 million times!

Bringing it back home, we set out to find why TEDx events are so popular in San Diego. We decided to turn to our fans, much like with our “Top 7 Reasons to attend TEDxSanDiego” post, with 2 tickets to our December 3, 2011 show up for grabs.

We asked on Facebook and Twitter, “Tell us why you think TEDx and San Diego go hand in hand.” Here are a few of the many responses we received:

• 

  Dolphins at Sea World San Diego. Photo: Kara DeFrias.

  “TEDx and San Diego go together because TEDx is about talking about important problems in today’s world and addressing them in intelligent thoughtful ways. This fits extremely well with San Diego in the way that San Diego is a city on the forefront of helping the US and the World deal with some of its more pressing and important issues. Having the Biggest BioTech cluster in the world in combination with our growth as an electric car city and a wireless industry hub show that San Diego is on the cutting edge of healthcare, environment and new forms of information all of which are important issues to both San Diego and the World as a whole.” - Anshel Sag (via Facebook)

• “TEDx brings new vision, new ideas, and creativity to the forefront. San Diego is home to technological and scientific hubs, passionate and engaged citizens, and geographic, demographic, and ethnic diversity. Our scientific hubs can turn new ideas into solutions. Passionate and engaged citizens can implement ideas to create a stable economy. Diverse communities throughout our region can connect through creativity to ensure equity and build solidarity. Innovation (TEDx) + Opportunity (San Diego) = Equitable Prosperity (Perfect Together).” – Karen Begin (via Facebook)
• “TEDx + San Diego = A great marriage and perfect together, just like my husband and me. We are newlyweds who just moved here and would love to attend. Both of us are blown away by the amazing mix of Thought Leaders and Future Leaders here in San Diego.” - Janet White (via Facebook)
• “@TEDxSanDiego belongs in San Diego: the biotech, universities and sport hubs make #TEDxSD11 #Perfect.” - @JennNull (Jenn Null via Twitter)
• “San Diegans have the vision to see from the ocean to the mountains and the forest for the trees. Welcome TED! #TEDxSD11 #Perfect.” – @Kbartkiewicz (Kate Bartkiewicz via Twitter)
• “#TEDxSD11#Perfect together because San Diego attracts people from around the globe, bringing their diverse passions, perspectives & ideas together.” @cristizuk (Cristi Zuk via Twitter)

Jake Shimabukuro performs at TEDxSanDiego 2010. (Photo: Travis Houston.)

Well those answers make perfect sense! (No pun intended.) It’s easy to see why San Diego loves TED, and TEDx, so much.

Everyone who told us their reason on our Facebook page or tweeted with #TEDxSD11 #Perfect in their reply was eligible to win a free ticket to the show. We used a random number generator to select two folks among the top 6 entries.

And the winners are: Karen Begin and Kate Bartkiewicz. Congrats! We’ll be contacting you to arrange your registration. Thanks to everyone who sent in such great reasons why “TEDx + San Diego = Perfect Together.”

We’re really looking forward to meeting all the attendees on December 3 at Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall! If you didn’t manage to snag a ticket to the show, you can also watch the TEDxSanDiego livestream that day.

Tweet

The post 6 Reasons TEDx + San Diego = Perfect Together appeared first on TEDxSanDiego.